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SULKY PLOW.

Patented, Julyv` 18, 189s.

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFORD H. HOLSCLAW, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. AVERY & SONS, OF SAME PLACE.

SU LKY-PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,787, dated July 18, 1893. Application filed January 28, 1,893. Serial No.460,052 (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILFORD H. HoLscLAw, of Louisville, in the county of Jeerson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sulky-Plows; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a sulky, or twowheeled carriage, such as usually employed to carry a plow of some sort, and usually called, when so used, a sulky plow, and it has for its main objects, first, to adapt such a sulky to the double purpose of carrying either a plow, or a stalk-cutter, and, second, to render the machine, when used for either of such purposes, more efficient and desirable in operation. Previous to my invention such plows have been made of various constructions, adapted to have the axle of one of the wheels raised and lowered (for a well-known), purpose) by the driver, while occupying his seat on the carriage; and also adapted to have the rearmost portion of the bail (from which the plow is suspended) raised and lowered, at the will of the driver, relatively to the rest of thev machine, in order to elevate and depress the plow, all in the manner and for the purposes, or effects, Well understood by those familiar with the manufacture and use of sulky plows. I propose, however, to provide for use a sulky, or two-wheeled carriage, which may be used with equal facility to carry either a plow (in the use of which only one Wheel of the carriage has to be vertically adjusted relatively to the frame), or a stalk-cutter, or other analogous implement, needing a vertical adjustment, of both wheels of the carriage, relatively to the frame of the latter.

Having in view, as hereinbefore stated, this duplex object, my invention consists in certain novel structural features and certain new combinations of devicesand attachme nts, that will be found hereinafter fully described, and that will be foundmost clearly dened, or particularly pointed out, in the claims of this specification. l To enable those skilled in the art to which my improvements relate, to perfectly under standand practice the same, I will now proceed to more fully describe the several parts, or features, of my invention, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, which VMform part of this specilication, and in which I have shown the several novel features of my improved machine, under the precise constructions which I have, so far, followed in practicing my invention; though, as a matter of course, more, or less, modification may be made therein, without materially changing the same.

In the drawings, I have devoted Sheet l to a series of views of the machine, as adapted to the uses of a plow, and with a plow attached to the sulky; while in Sheet 2, all the figures show the machine and its parts and attachments, in the condition in which they are Vwhen a stalk-cutter (such as seen in this sheet) is attached to the sulky. And in describing the construction and operation of the machine, I shall, for convenience sake, first explain the machine adjusted for, or adapted to, the purpose of a sulky plow, and then describe it adjusted for use as a stalk cutter.

, In Sheet 1, Figure 1 is aperspective view of the sulky plow. Fig. 2 is a top view of the machine, enlarged scale. elevation, looking at that side of the'machine which is at the driver-s left, and with the wheel at that side of the machine removed, same scale as Fig. l. In rSheet 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sulky stalk-cutter. Fig. 5, is a partial side elevation, enlarged scale looking at that side of the machine which is on the right of the driver, when in his seat. Fig. 6, is a view showing separately, but in a group, and each in perspective, on a still greater scale the parts, or attachments, which are put on, in changing the machine from a sulkyplow to a wheeled stalk-cutter.

In the several views of both sheets, the same part will be found always designated by the same letter of reference. v

A is the arch, or main frame portion, from i the depending portionsof which extends forward a sort of U-shaped metallic frame-piece B, which, at the middle of its front portion, or bar, is securely bolted, as shown, (and Fig. 3, isa partial side IOO about in the usual manner) to the tongue C, which latter is secured, as usual, at its rear end, to the top of the metallic arch A. Suitably mounted on the said arch A, through the medium of a spring support D, is the usual drivers seat E; all of the parts so far mentioned being supported by a pair of wheels F and G, in a manner and through the media of devices which I will now explain.

I is the bail to which may be attached, and which supports and carries (in a manner to be presently described) either a plow, or the stalk-cutter. The wheel F is mounted to turn freely on a fixed axle, or arbor f, which projects outwardly from a casting a., which is formed with two cylindrical housings, or boxes, b and c, in one of which (b) the inner end of the said axle fis securely fastened, and in the other of which (c) is journaled one end d of the bail I. Said casting a is formed also with an extension, or arm-like part e, which projects upwardly and radially of the journal box c, and which is recessed on its inner face to partially embrace the lower end of a hand-lever J that is securely bolted to said extension e, as shown, and which carries on its inner side a longitudinally sliding pawl, or latch-bar, operated (in a well known manner) by a pull-Wire g, and hand crank h, in one direction, and bya springin the other direction; said latch-bar engaging at its lower end, with the teeth, or notches, of a stationary sector, K. Said sector is mounted on one of the end portions of the bail I (which passes through an eye, or hole, in the sector), and is securely fastened, at c', to the depending endportion of arch A, all as clearly shown in the drawings. The otherwheel G is mounted to turn freely on the axle j, the inner end portion of which is combined, in a non-rotatable manner, with the lower depending, right hand, portion of the arch A. The extreme lower portion of this depending arch A is bent, or set obliquely, and with this oblique portion the inner end of axle j is combined, through the media of reversible wedge-shaped washers, and a securing nut, so as to permit the canting of Wheel G, when desired,substan tially after the fashion of the'canting device made the subject of United States Letters Patent, granted September 20, 1892, to L. S. F1atau,No. 482,943. A short distance above the point, at which this depending portion of arch A thus supports, or carries, the axle j of wheel G, the said portion of said arch is perforated with a hole, through which passes one of the outwardly bent ends Z of the bail I and in the bearing thus formed for this end of the bail, and the bearing formed (at the other side of the machine) where the other end d of the bail passes through the other depending part of arch A, (and also through the box-like portion of casting cg) said bail turns, freely, whenever it may become necessary to raise, or lower, the rear and main body-portion of the bail, to'which the plow is attached.

On the end Zof bailI (where itprojects outwardly beyond the arch-piece A) is mounted, to turn freely, the angular portion, of the bent-lever (or bell-crank) L, which has'the rear end of its horizontal arm m secu rely bolted to one of the rearwardly extended portions of the bail I, and which has the end of its upwardly projecting arm n pivotally attached to the forward end of a link-bar 0, which latter, in turn, has its rear end coupled, by a pivot, to the lower end of the hand-lever M, at the right hand side of the machine. This hand-lever M, like the one at the other side of the machine, is provided with a spring latch-bar, the lower end ot' which coacts with a toothed sector N, made fast to the upper part of one of the vertical portions of theV arch A, as shown, and which latch-bar, is pulled out of engagement with the sector, (whenever the driver may desire to vibrate the hand-lever M,) by means of a pull-rod g, and hand crank r.

As illustrated in Sheet l, when aplow (such an one, for instance, as shown in said sheet) is used, the beam P thereof` is securely fastened, in about the usual and approved Way, to the bail I, while the forward part of the .beam may be also fastened, as usual, to the forward part of the frame-like braces B of the sulky; and when thus secured in place, the

driver adjusts, or regulates, thecondition of the furrow-wheel G, by the use of the canting device; and he also, by the use of handlever J, and its connected device, raises the wheel F, to level up the carriage, in view of the descent of the canted wheel G, into the furrow of the plowed ground. When it may be desired to lift the plow up, to travel clear of the ground, or to regulate the depth of cut, the driver properly manipulates theother hand .lever M, as usual, and thus, through the medium of the bell-crank L operated by the connecting bar, or link o, and operating to oscillate the bail I, on its end bearings, or journaled portions, the plow will be raised, or lowered, as may be desired.

To transform the machine from the sulky v plow seen in Sheet l, to the sulky stalk-cutter illustrated in Sheet 2, the following changes are madez-After the detachment of the plow from the sulky, the knife-cylinder (seen in Sheet 2) is attached to the bail I, and is held in place, endwise, 'in said bail (on which it is free to rotate) by the same collars i2, which were previously employed to hold in place, endwise of the bail, the saddle-like device to which the plow beam was fastened. The hand-lever M, together with its attachments; the toothed sector N; and' the link-bar 0, are then removed from the machine, and the upper end of the forward arm of the bell-crank L, securely bolted to a vertical portion of the arch A, all as clearly shown in Sheet l. Next the furrow wheel G, with its axle and the cant washers and nut; also the split IIO key and washer in front of bell-crank, are

all removed, and then the malleable cast iron bracket A4 (see Figs. 2 and 3, Sheet 2) is securely bolted in place on the frame, as seen;

come? after which the socket-crank b4, carrying the lever c, is slipped on to the spindle, or bearing, d4,`of the bracket A4, and the wheel G secured in place on the crank axle e4. After finally adjusting the tongue C of the carriage, so as to be about central thereof, widthwise, and attaching the necessary hitch castings, &c., the machine is in order for use as a stalkcutter.

The stalkcutter,per se, that I have shown is composed of a series of rimless wheels, or spiders, R, S, made each in halves after the fashion of a split pulley, which have their hub-like portions securely fastened round about the bail I of the sulky; and a series of cutter-bars, or blades, each of which is made fast, as seen, to two arms of the two spiders. Preferably, each of the spider-Wheels R and S, is made in halves,as stated, so that its hub-like portions may be readily clasped round about the bail I (by means of bolts and nuts, as, clearly shown) thus rendering the attachment to the bail, and the removal therefrom of said casting a simple, or easy matter. And in attaching the spider-wheels to the bail, at the proper distance apart, they should be set, as shown, withtheir arms out of line,

or sothat the cutter blades T, when applied` and secured to the ends of said arms, will stand obliquely to the axis of motion of the cutter device, il e. will stand out of parallelism with the bail I, in order that in operating, each of the blades will act with a sort of shearing cut. This peculiar arrangement of the blades, I consider important, as thereby, without the expense of spiral, or curved, blades, and without the trouble and expense of properly sharpening such curved blade I am enabled to getnearly, or quite all the advantages of a blade which makes a shearing cut, over one coming square against the stalks, in the performance of the cutting operation.

As will be seen, by reference to the draw` ings, each of the blades, or cutter-bars T, is made with two cutting edges (which a spirally curved blade could not well have), and is reversible, so that,when one cutting edge of one, or more, blades, shall have become dulled, or

shall have gotten injured, by some accident,`

such blade, or blades, can be easily and quickly reversed by theuser of the machine (by simply removing the securing bolts, at fw, w, shifting the position of the cutter bar, or bars, and then replacing the bolts). This reversibility, in a manner and by means so simple, that any farm hand of ordinary intelligence, can adjust the machine, as described, I deem an important feature of my improved machine.

As to many of the details, myimproved ma-` chine may be modified without departing from the novel features in which lie theseveral parts of my invention, and thefruits of my invention may, of course, be reaped, to more, or less, extent, by the use, in one machine, of less than all the structural features made the subjects matter of my claims.

the stalk-cutter sulky, seen in Sheet 2, the t bail I loses all capacity for adjustment (up and. down) relatively to the frame of the carriage, and it will be understood that then the bail I, carrying the cutting-cylinder, together with the frame of the machine, is raised and lowered, to elevate, depress, and perfectly adjust, the cutting-cylinder, by raising and lowering, independently, the vtwo wheel axles of the' carriage through the media of `the handlevers, on either side of the machine, and their adjuncts; that one at the drivers left operating the same as when the machine was adjusted for work as a plow sulky, while the one at the drivers right (which was substi- `tutedin changing the machine t0 a stalk-cutter sulky) operates, in like manner, to raise and lower the axle of the wheel G, which,be fore the change of attachments, was not adj ustable relatively to the arch, and frame of the carriage. And theV means by .which the sulky is thus rendered capable of having both wheels adj usted, independently, by the levers at either side of the driver, while the bail becomes xed relatively to the frame of the machine, I, of course, consider a very important part of my invention. Y

Having now so fully described the several parts of my invention that those skilled in the art can practice the latter, -either in part -or in whole, what I claim. as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a sulky designed for use in connection with a plow, the combination, with the usual arch A; wheels F and G; and an axle for the furrow wheel mounted in the lower end of one of the depending portions of the` arch, of a bail I, having one end (Z) journaled in that leg of the arch to which the furrow wheel axle is thus secured, and having its other end d passed through the other depending portion of said arch, and carrying on its outwardly projecting portion the crank casting, in one journal box of which is mounted the axle of the other wheel, F, of the carriage; all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a sulky plow convertible into a sulky stalk-cutter of the type herein'described, the combination with the arch A, and the wheels F vand. Gr, of a bail I, passing, at one end,

through one ofthe depending portions ofthe arch, and there carrying the socket crank in which is mounted the axle of one of said wheels 5 and passing, at theother end, through the other, depending, portion of the arch, above the point at which said portion of the arch carries the axle of the othervwheel; and' a bell-crank Lhung on the end of said bail, made fast at its rear end to said bail, and connected at its other end with a suitable hand-lever mechanism, for oscillating vsaid bell-crank; all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

IOO

IIO

3. In a sulky plow or stalk-cutter, the combination with the usual arch and main-frame; and a bail adapted to carry the cutting cylinder, and non-adjustable, relatively to the arch, of Wheels F and G, the axles of which are, independently, adjustable, vertically, relatively to the frame and bail; and hand-levers arranged on either side of the machine, adapted to effectuate the adjustment of the Wheel axles; all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a machine adapted to the purposes of stalk-cutting, the combination with the bail I of the vehicle, of a rotary stalk-cutter, composed of a series ot' spider-Wheels, removably combined with said bail, and provided with a series of cutter bars, adapted to revolve by Contact with the ground, and operating to 'cut off the stalks; all substantially as set forth.

5. In a stalk-cutter sulky, the combination with the bail I, of a stalk cutter implement, composed of spider-wheels removably secured to said bail, and a series of cuttery bars, or blades, T, having straight edges; but set obliquely to the bail, or axis of motion of the cutting implement; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of November, 1892.

WILFORD H. HOLSCLAW.

In presence of- W. ENINeToN, ADOLPH G. RENAU. 

